Forks Over Knives Cuban Black Bean Soup, Simply Made

This Forks Over Knives-style Cuban black bean soup is a plant-based, one-pot meal built around black beans, bell pepper, garlic, cumin, and oregano. A splash of vinegar and fresh lime brighten the earthy, gently spiced broth, while partially blending the beans makes it hearty without adding cream. Cuban black bean soup has many household and regional versions; this practical take uses canned beans to keep the cooking time manageable.

Ingredients

3 cans black beans, 15 oz (425 g) each, drained and rinsed; about 4½ cups (765 g) beans total
1 medium yellow onion, diced, about 1½ cups (225 g)
1 medium green bell pepper, diced, about 1½ cups (225 g)
2 celery stalks, diced, about 1 cup (100 g)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped, about 4 teaspoons (12 g)
¼ cup (60 ml) water, plus more as needed for sautéing
4 cups (950 ml) low-sodium vegetable broth
1 can diced tomatoes, 14.5 oz (411 g), with their juices
1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cumin
1 teaspoon (1 g) dried oregano
1 bay leaf, about 0.2 g
½ teaspoon (1 g) smoked paprika, optional
½ teaspoon (1 g) ground black pepper
½ teaspoon (3 g) fine salt, then more to taste
1 tablespoon (15 ml) red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lime juice, usually from 1 lime
⅓ cup (15 g) chopped fresh cilantro, optional
Optional toppings: 1 avocado, diced, about 200 g; ½ cup (75 g) finely diced red onion; or 1 lime cut into 6 wedges

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients. Drain and rinse the beans in a colander until the liquid runs mostly clear. Dice the onion, bell pepper, and celery into similarly sized pieces so they soften at about the same rate. Chop the garlic, measure the spices and broth, and open the tomatoes. This preparation takes about 20 minutes; keep the rinsed beans nearby for the pot.
Soften the vegetables. Set a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the ¼ cup (60 ml) water, onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook for about 6 minutes, stirring every minute or two, until the onion begins to look translucent and the pepper has softened. If the bottom gets dry before the vegetables soften, add another tablespoon (15 ml) of water rather than letting them stick. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika if using, black pepper, and salt. Stir for 2 minutes, just until fragrant; avoid browning the garlic. This step takes about 8 minutes in total.
Build the soup and simmer. Stir in the beans, vegetable broth, diced tomatoes with their juices, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a steady boil, then lower the heat so it simmers gently. Partly cover the pot, leaving a gap for steam to escape, and simmer for 25 minutes. Stir once or twice, scraping the bottom of the pot, and keep the soup at a quiet bubble rather than a hard boil. The vegetables should be tender and the flavors more blended by the end. If it looks thicker than you like, add broth or water a little at a time.
Make the texture creamy, then finish. Remove the bay leaf. For a thick but still chunky soup, use an immersion blender for a few short pulses, keeping the blender head beneath the surface to reduce splashing. Stop while plenty of whole beans remain. Alternatively, transfer about 1½ cups (350 ml) of soup to a heat-safe blender, let it cool briefly, blend until smooth, and carefully return it to the pot. Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the red wine vinegar and lime juice, then taste and adjust salt, pepper, or acidity. Stir in cilantro if using. This finishing stage takes about 7 minutes.
Serve. Ladle into bowls and offer avocado, diced red onion, or lime wedges at the table. The soup should be savory and earthy, with a clean, tangy finish rather than a strongly sour taste. Add a little extra lime to individual bowls if diners prefer a brighter flavor.

Tips

Rinse canned beans well. Rinsing removes much of the packing liquid, which can taste salty or metallic and make the broth cloudy. If your beans are already salted, start with less added salt and adjust only after the soup has simmered.
Keep the simmer gentle. A rolling boil can break up the beans and make the soup less appealingly chunky. If the pot bubbles vigorously, lower the heat; if it stops simmering, raise it slightly. Stirring occasionally also helps prevent beans from settling and sticking.
Adjust the thickness after blending. Beans continue to thicken the soup as it stands. Add hot broth or water a splash at a time if it becomes too dense. If you want it thicker, blend a few more pulses rather than boiling it hard, which can cause splattering.
Balance the finish gradually. Vinegar and lime are there to lift the bean flavor, not dominate it. Add the listed amount, taste, and then increase the lime or vinegar by a teaspoon (5 ml) at a time. If you accidentally make the soup too tart, stir in a little more broth and beans.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the soup hot as a filling main course or in smaller bowls as a starter. Steamed white rice or brown rice makes a natural accompaniment and can be served underneath the soup or alongside it. For a lighter meal, pair it with a simple cabbage salad dressed with lime, or serve sliced ripe plantain as a sweet contrast to the savory beans. Warm corn tortillas, crusty bread, or baked tortilla strips are useful for scooping up the last of the broth.

Set toppings out separately so everyone can finish a bowl to taste. Diced avocado adds a soft, rich texture, while red onion and lime make each serving brighter. Cilantro is a fresh garnish, but it can be left off for anyone who dislikes its flavor. If you are serving rice, keep it separate until plating; storing rice in the soup makes it absorb broth and turn very soft.

Variations

Use dried beans: Replace the canned beans with 1 pound (454 g) dried black beans. Sort and rinse them, soak them overnight in plenty of water, then drain. Cook the soaked beans in fresh water until tender before starting the soup, or cook them directly in the broth and vegetables while allowing substantially more time. Beans vary in age and cooking time, so simmer until tender rather than relying on a fixed clock. If cooking them separately, add about 4½ cups (765 g) cooked beans and reduce the broth slightly if needed. The dried-bean version has a deeper, less uniform texture, but its total time includes soaking and is much longer.

Make it hotter: Add ¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) cayenne with the spices, or serve sliced jalapeño at the table. For a milder pot, omit smoked paprika and use sweet paprika instead; smoked paprika contributes a wood-smoke note, while sweet paprika gives color without that smoky character.

Change the herbs or beans: A small pinch of ground coriander can join the cumin, though it is not a direct substitute for oregano. If fresh cilantro is unavailable, simply omit it rather than using a large amount of dried cilantro, which has a different, less fresh flavor. Other cooked beans can work in a pinch, but black beans give the soup its characteristic color and earthy taste.

Add a grain: Spoon cooked rice into each bowl, or stir in up to 1 cup (185 g) cooked rice just before serving. Keep it out of the main pot if you expect leftovers, because rice will continue to absorb liquid. Quinoa can also be served alongside or added cooked at the table; it changes the texture but keeps the dish plant-based.

Storage and Reheating

Cool the soup promptly and refrigerate it within 2 hours of cooking in shallow, covered containers. It keeps for 3–4 days in the refrigerator. If storing toppings, keep avocado, lime wedges, and fresh cilantro separate and add them just before serving; that helps the garnishes keep their color and texture. The soup may thicken in the refrigerator, so plan to loosen it with a little water or broth when warming it.

Reheat only the amount you plan to eat in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring regularly until steaming throughout. Add a splash of broth or water if it is too thick. For food safety, USDA FSIS guidance is to reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C); check the center with a food thermometer. In a microwave, use a microwave-safe bowl, cover it loosely, and stir partway through heating so the temperature is even. Refrigerate any unused portion promptly rather than repeatedly warming the whole batch.

For longer storage, freeze cooled soup in airtight, freezer-safe containers, leaving a little room at the top for expansion. It keeps its best quality for about 2–3 months, though it remains safe longer when continuously frozen. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat as above. The beans may soften slightly after freezing, but a brief stir or a small splash of broth restores a spoonable consistency.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this an official Forks Over Knives recipe?
This is a plant-based recipe in the Forks Over Knives style, not a claim that it is an official or published recipe from the brand. It uses beans, vegetables, broth, and seasonings, with water instead of oil for softening the aromatics. Cuban black bean soup has many variations, so seasonings and finishing ingredients differ from cook to cook.

Can I make the soup without a blender?
Yes. Mash some of the beans against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon or a potato masher, then stir well. The soup will be less uniformly creamy, but the crushed beans still thicken the broth. You can also leave it completely chunky; simmering makes the beans and vegetables tender without blending.

Can I use homemade vegetable broth?
Yes. Use 4 cups (950 ml) of unsalted or low-salt vegetable broth, then season the finished soup to taste. Homemade broth varies in strength, so if it tastes especially mild, the soup may need a little more salt, lime, or vinegar. Water also works, although it gives a less rounded broth; add seasoning gradually to compensate.

How can I make the soup less salty?
Choose no-salt-added beans and low-sodium broth if available, rinse the beans, and begin with less salt than listed. If the soup is already too salty, add a little unsalted broth or water and another portion of drained beans or unsalted diced tomatoes. Adding lime or vinegar may make the flavor livelier, but it does not remove salt.

Why does the soup taste flat?
Beans and broth can need more seasoning than expected, especially when the broth is low in sodium. First check the salt, then add lime juice or vinegar a teaspoon (5 ml) at a time to sharpen the flavor. If the soup tastes raw or one-dimensional, give it a few more minutes at a gentle simmer before adjusting again.

Can I prepare it ahead?
Yes. Make the soup up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it promptly; the flavors meld as it rests, and the texture will become thicker. Reheat it gently with broth or water as needed, then add fresh lime, cilantro, and avocado at serving time. Keep the cooked rice or other accompaniments separate so they do not soak up the soup’s broth.

More recipes to cook

Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).